It all started so well

[N_GaugeModeller]

My kids have me some Rails of Sheffield vouchers this year for Xmas, as we can't get together this year they did it on line and I got them yesterday.

Got onto rails site to see what I could buy but didn't find too much of interest so decided on a Dapol Class 22, ordered it yesterday and was most surprised to receive it today, was expecting it next year given how bad the post has been this year.

Took it out the box to run it on on my DC circuit and was most annoyed to find it would not move, even when coaxed along, nothing dead.  Took the body of to check the blanking plug was in, and it was, tried a different blanking plug just in case but that made no difference, at this point I should have just sent it back, but the kids want to see it running on tomorrow's zoom meeting.

So against all my usual advice about not fixing broken models that are brand new, I started to investigate.

Didn't take long to fine the issues

Popped of both bogies and found all the contacts in the bogies and the 4 contact strips in the body were completely black with oxidation, so spend ages cleaning them up, put them back and still nothing but now the motor is buzzing, off with the bogies again, applied power to the contacts and again the motor buzzed, tried turning it and it was solid, so had to strip it out and the lubricant they had used had gummed it up.

One that was cleaned and lubricated it all went back together and worked fine.

I know it was probably quite old stock but how badly must it have been stored for all the contacts to turn black, even the wheels needed cleaning, they were all discoloured as well.

All well in the end but I am sure there is some history to this brand new model.

Rent off now.

NGM

[Dr Al]

Dapol had at one point this hideous concept of 'transit' grease (seems like manifest nonsense, there's nothing that can be either damaged in the gearing with Dapol's packing, nor protected by grease - I've cleaned it all out before, and sent models on no problem).

I generally remove all factory grease from any new model, Farish, Dapol, or any other manufacturer as invariably it's overdone (draggy), and already on or heading toward things like pickups and wheel backs. That means it's heading toward trackwork (bad!!) so must go in my book.

You may want to let Rails know - not to complain, but so they are aware that any further on their shelves may be in similar condition. I'm not sure when the 22 first was released, but it's quite a few years ago now (maybe 5?)

Cheers,
Alan

[Newportnobby]

@N_GaugeModeller
Glad you had the knowledge of how to get it going and I hope the kids enjoy seeing it running.
It's a lovely model but a shame you got a dud.

[Rabbitaway]

Hi All

Yes, the Dapol grease problem, I  have two class 67's from the earlier batches, one has always been a good runner and the other noisy and not as good. I went to run these after they had been sitting for months and found the poorer running one would not move and the motor just buzzed. In stripping it down, I found the packed grease had gone as hard as candle wax. Full dismantle, clean and rebuild and now back running OK, although still not the quietest of locos.

Worth checking stored locos as this grease does appear to set hard after a period of time

[Bealman]

Geez I hope that doesn't happen to my beloved Blue Pullman - it's only been out of the box once!

It's not Dapol, like.

Actually, I do own one Dapol loco, a kettle, which has also been sitting in it's box for years, but I gave it a run recently and it seemed fine.

Fingers crossed!

[lil chris]

How can you not run the Blue Pullman George @Bealman , I can not stop running mine although it derailed tonight and I had fun getting it going then I noticed my circuit breaker had tripped so it was my fault.

[Bealman]

Unfortunately there is no continuous run on my layout as it stands. Getting it all out just to let it run backwards and forwards along a few metres of track just isn't worth it. 

[lil chris]

There you go George, new years resolution "build a continuous run".

[dannyboy]

Get yourself a a piece of 4' x 2' and some bits of track and set up a test track George. It might not look astet aecet asthet realistic, but at least you can have a continuous run. 

[Bealman]

It's something I've been thinking of doing for a while, but there's no room in the garage for it and the boss won't let me have it in the house 

[dannyboy]

Hinge it to a batten fastened to a wall so that it lifts up, stick a nice picture on the underside and tell the boss it is a new piece of art you have bought for her. 

[Graham]

Hinge it to a batten fastened to a wall so that it lifts up, stick a nice picture on the underside and tell the boss it is a new piece of art you have bought for her. 

I like that idea, wonder if i can get away with it.

[Newportnobby]

Hinge it to a batten fastened to a wall so that it lifts up, stick a nice picture on the underside and tell the boss it is a new piece of art you have bought for her. 

I like that idea, wonder if i can get away with it.

Put your best pic of your other half on it, and Robert's your mother's brother

[N_GaugeModeller]

Going back to their transit grease, what's the safest solution to use for its removal ?

Thanks

NGM

[Newportnobby]

With my class 17 I gently pulled the bogies off and used a cocktail stick to remove the larger clods of grease. Followed that with a small cotton bud to get as much more as I could out, then very lightly oiled the worms, replaced the bogies and ran it for ½ an hour. The difference from out of the box was extraordinary.